Apparatus for remotely operating drain valves

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for remotely operating a drain valve associated with a container such as a vehicle radiator, oil sump or the like and having a rotary valve stem provided with a handle having channelshaped ends, the operating apparatus having a rotary actuator joined by a flexible cable to a coupling having fingers fitted into the channel-shaped members and removably clamped to the valve handle. The rotary actuator is mounted at a level above the drain valve so as readily to be accessible to a person desiring to manipulate the drain valve.

United States Patent [72] inventor RnymondWCrowe 1.311.889 8/1919 ilartdorn 251/293X '7625Alukn.llridgeport,Mich.48'/22 1.322.979 11/1919 Waite.. 251/293x [211 P 8291228 FOREIGN PATENTS 23 1121x83 794.265 4/1958 GreatBritain 251/293 [54] APPARATUS FOR REMOTELY OPERATING DRAIN VALVES 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52) U.S. Cl. 4 251/144, 251/292, 251/293 [51] lnLCl. F16|l31l46 [50] FleldolSeerch 251/144, 292, 293. 294; 287/75, 76, 82, 103

[S6] Reierenees Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,215,017 2/1917 Gcrstenschlager 251/293 X Primary Examiner-William R. Cline Alwmey Learrnan, Learman and McCulloch ABSTRACT: Apparatus for remotely operating a drain valve associated with a container such as a vehicle radiator, oil sump or the like and having a rotary valve stem provided with a handie having channel-shaped ends, the operating apparatus having a rotary actuator joined by a flexible cable to a coupling having fingers fitted into the channel-shaped members and removably clamped to the valve handle. The rotary actuator is mounted at a level above the drain valve so as readily to be accessible to a person desiring to manipulate the drain valve.

PATENTEDAUBIOIQ?! 3.598.361

FIG. 4

INVENTOR.

RAYMOND W. CROWE id/wwm mwa K/W APPARATUS FOR REMOTELY OPERATING DRAIN VALVES This invention relates to apparatus for operating remotely a drain valve associated with a container such as a radiator, oil sump or the like of the kind with which a motor vehicle conventionally is equipped. More particularly, the invention is concerned with remote operating means so as to enable the drain valves of such containers to be opened and closed without the necessity of a persons reaching beneath the vehicle.

It is conventional practice for a vehicle radiator, oil sump and other liquid containers to be provided with drain openings at the bottom thereof so as to permit the contents of the containers to be drained. To operate such valves a person must reach beneath the radiator or other container and rotate the valve stem. This frequently results in the person's hands and arms being soiled by the contents of the container and, in some cases, the person may be burned severely if the contents are hot.

An object of this invention is to provide apparatus for operating from a remote point the drain valves of containers, thereby avoiding the necessity of a persons having to reach beneath a container and subjecting himself to possible injury.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described and which requires no modification of the drain valve with which it is adapted to be associated.

A further object of the invention is to provide remote operating apparatus which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to install, and foolproof in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out specifically or will become apparent from the following description when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view illustrating the remote operating apparatus installed on an automotive radiator;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view of the apparatus applied to a typical drain valve;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 and with the drain valve in place at the bottom of the radiator; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary exploded view of the valve stem and the coupling means.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention is adapted for use in conjunction with a conventional automotive radiator 1 having at its bottom a tubular drain opening 2 in which a valve housing 3 provided with a discharge opening 4. The housing 3 has a threaded end 5 fitted into the opening 2, the end 5 being bored as at 6 to permit the radiators contents can be discharged. A threaded valve stem 7 extends through a correspondingly threaded opening in the other end 8 of the housing 3 and is adapted to open and close the bore 6. Fixed to the stem 7 is an operating handle 9 having an elongated arm 10 extending on opposite sides of the stem 7. The opposite ends of the arm 10 are provided with upstanding flanges 11 to facilitate rotation of the stem 7. The ends of the arm 10 thus may be characterized as channel-shaped in appearance.

The remote operating apparatus in designated generally by the reference character 12 and comprises a rotary actuating knob 13 journaled in a bushing 14 carried by a bracket 15 which may be soldered or otherwise suitably fixed to the upper end of the radiator 1. Also fixed to the bushing 14 is a flexible sheath 16 through which extends a flexible, torque transmitting cable 17. One end of the cable is fixed to the knob 13 and the other end of the cable is welded or otherwise fixed to a coupling member 18.

The coupling member comprises an arm 19 which extends on opposite sides of the cable 17 and is of such length as more than to span the length of the valve handle 9. Each end of the arm 9 is reversely turned as at 20 to form two fingers 21 and 22 which substantially parallel the arm 19 and extend toward,

but terminate short of the center of the arm 19. The spacing between the finger 21 and the arm 19 is less than that between the finger 22 and the arm 19. The spacing between the arm 19 and the finger 21 is less than the height of the flanges 11, whereas the spacing between the arm 19 and the finger 22 is greater than the height of the flanges 11. A threaded clamp or set screw 23 extends through a correspondingly threaded opening in the arm 19 and is adjustable toward and away from the finger 22.

To condition the apparatus for operation, the bracket 15 may be soldered or otherwise suitably fixed to the upper end of the radiator 1 so as to permit the sheathed cable 17 to hang vertically. The clamp screw 23 may be rotated so as to move it away from the finger 22. The finger 21 is then may be nested between the flanges 11 at one end of the valve handle 9. Due to the greater spacing between the arm 9 and the finger 22, the latter may overlie the handle 19 with the finger 22 at a level above that of the flanges 11. The clamp screw 23 then may be turned toward the finger 22 so as to engage the lower surface of the valve handle 9, whereupon the finger 22 will be drawn toward the handle 19 so as to nest with the flanges 11, as is indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In these positions of the parts, the coupling member 18 will be in driving relation with the valve stem 7.

When the operating means 18 is assembled with the handle 9 in the disclosed manner, rotation of the actuating knob 13 in one direction will effect corresponding rotation of the arm 19. The fingers 21 and 22 will bear against the adjacent flanges 11 of the handle 9 and effect rotation of the latter in response to rotation of the knob 13.

When the knob 13 is rotated in such direction as to unscrew the valve stem 7 from the bore 6, the contents of the radiator may be discharged through the bore 6 and through the discharge opening 4. When the knob 13 is rotated in the opposite direction, the stem 7 will be reintroduced to the bore 16 so as to seal the latter.

Although the disclosure herein is concerned primarily with the opening and closing of a valve at the bottom of a radiator, it will be apparent that the apparatus is adapted for manipulating the drain cock of any kind of container. This disclosure, therefore, is intended to be illustrative rather than definitive of the invention.

Iclaim:

1. In combination, a container having a drain at its lower end; a rotatable valve in said drain for selectively opening and closing said drain; a handle secured to said valve for rotating the latter; a rotatable actuating member; means mounting said actuating member at a level above said drain; flexible torque transmitting means secured at one end to said actuating member for rotation therewith; coupling means secured to said transmitting means for rotation in response to rotation of the latter; and means securing said coupling means to said handle for rotating the latter in response to rotation of said actuating member, said coupling means comprising an arm terminating at each end in reversely turned finger spaced from and substantially parallel to said arm.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the spacing between one of said fingers and said arm is less than that between said arm and the other of said fingers.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said coupling means also includes a clamp member acting between said arm and at least one of said fingers.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said handle has generally channel-shaped arms extending from opposite sides of said stem, and wherein one of the fingers of said coupling means is nested in one of said arms and the other of said fingers is nested in the other of said arms.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 including clamp means for clamping at least one of said fingers to one of said arms.

6. Apparatus for remotely operating a valve having a rotatable stem, said apparatus comprising a flexible torque transmitting member; a rotatable actuating member fixed to one end of said transmitting member for rotating the latter;

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 6 wherein the spacing between one of said fingers and said arm is less than that between said arm and the other of said fingers.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 7 wherein said clamp means is carried by said arm for movement toward and away from said other of said fingers. 

1. In combination, a container having a drain at its lower end; a rotatable valve in said drain for selectively opening and closing said drain; a handle secured to said valve for rotating the latter; a rotatable actuating member; means mounting said actuating member at a level above said drain; flexible torque transmitting means secured at one end to said actuating member for rotation therewith; coupling means secured to said transmitting means for rotation in response to rotation of the latter; and means securing said coupling means to said handle for rotating the latter in response to rotation of said actuating member, said cOupling means comprising an arm terminating at each end in a reversely turned finger spaced from and substantially parallel to said arm.
 2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the spacing between one of said fingers and said arm is less than that between said arm and the other of said fingers.
 3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said coupling means also includes a clamp member acting between said arm and at least one of said fingers.
 4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said handle has generally channel-shaped arms extending from opposite sides of said stem, and wherein one of the fingers of said coupling means is nested in one of said arms and the other of said fingers is nested in the other of said arms.
 5. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 including clamp means for clamping at least one of said fingers to one of said arms.
 6. Apparatus for remotely operating a valve having a rotatable stem, said apparatus comprising a flexible torque transmitting member; a rotatable actuating member fixed to one end of said transmitting member for rotating the latter; coupling means having an arm fixed at the other end of said transmitting member for rotation in response to rotation of said transmitting member and terminating at each end in a reversely turned finger spaced from and substantially parallel to said arm; and clamp means carried by said coupling means for clamping and unclamping said coupling means to and from said stem.
 7. The apparatus set forth in claim 6 wherein the spacing between one of said fingers and said arm is less than that between said arm and the other of said fingers.
 8. The apparatus set forth in claim 7 wherein said clamp means is carried by said arm for movement toward and away from said other of said fingers. 